The Emory Wheel Since 1919
Emory University’s Independent Student Newspaper
Printed every other Wednesday
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
New Chabad house opens at Oxford College
ICE actions spark concern, fear in Emory community
By Spencer Friedland Editor-in-Chief
By James Schechner Contributing Writer Last semester, Jewish life at Oxford College turned a new chapter with the opening of Chabad at Oxford, with programming run by Rabbi Mendel Lipskier and Chaya Lipskier. Already, the new Chabad center has held Friday night dinners, holiday events and educational programming, according to Lipskier. Chabad at Oxford adds to the programming offered at Emory University’s Atlanta campus Chabad center, which opened in 2000. Chabad, a movement of Orthodox Judaism, often operates near or on college campuses to create a space for Jewish students and the larger college community. Lipskier, who leads Chabad at Oxford, said he hopes the new house will strengthen Oxford’s Jewish community, which he called “underserved.” Prior to the Fall 2025 semester, Oxford students interested in attending Chabad events, like morning services, Shabbat services and holiday events, had to commute 45 minutes to the Atlanta campus. Emory Hillel and Emory’s Jewish See CHABAD, Page 3
New data shows Emory received $182.4 million in foreign funding
Sasha Emmerich/Deputy Illustration Editor
By Frieda Belasco Contributing Writer Across the nation, including at Emory, people have taken to the streets to protest the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency’s killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. In the past seven months, ICE has expanded its presence in multiple U.S. cities, including Atlanta. Professor of Political Science Jeffrey Staton noted that recently, hostility toward ICE’s approach to immi-
gration enforcement has increased since Trump’s inauguration. “What has happened in the last year is that a series of cities across the United States, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, most recently, [is that] ICE is engaged in a much more aggressive investigation of communities to identify people who may not have legal status in the United States,” Staton said. Immigration has been a “divisive” issue for Americans throughout history, according to Staton. He added that ICE has recently employed more
militaristic technologies and tactics. “What is absolutely strange are the things like the ICE officers wearing masks and more frequently showing up with large weapons and military gear,” Staton said. “That is very different than the ordinary.” Assistant Professor of Political Science Kiela Crabtree cited a Supreme Court decision from September 2025 that allows ICE to consider indicators of race and ethnicity when making arrests. “It’s become very clear that these
See PROFESSORS, Page 3
Since returning to office last year, U.S. President Donald Trump has made it a priority to increase transparency regarding “foreign influence” within higher education institutions. In April 2025, Trump signed an executive order to stop the “secrecy surrounding foreign funds in American educational institutions,” emphasizing the importance of protecting American ideals and security. Nearly eight months later, on Jan. 2, the Department of Education (DOE) released a dashboard reporting universities’ foreign contracts and donations. Universities are required to report contracts and gifts from foreign entities exceeding $250,000 under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965. According to the dashboard, Emory University has received nearly $182.4 million in foreign funds from contracts and gifts as of Jan. 31, 2025. Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond explained in an email to The Emory Wheel that “gifts” to the University can be charitable donations from foreign entities or individuals, while contracts are typically research grants.
See EMORY, Page 3
Doctors detail record-breaking year for kidney transplants at Emory Healthcare By Lucy Benjamin Contributing Writer An estimated 35.5 million Americans live with chronic kidney disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2024. In the 2025 calendar year, Emory Healthcare (EHC) performed 591 kidney transplants, setting a national record for any adult transplant program in the U.S. The achievement surpassed Tampa General Hospital’s previous record of 500 kidney transplants in 2024. Arpita Basu, assistant professor of medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine, said that refining Emory Healthcare’s response system to connecting donors to patients contributed to its success. “We’ve always had a robust wait list for deceased donors,” Basu said. “It’s just that we didn’t have a process that was fully fine-tuned to be able to have the right kind of patients ready at the right time. Over the last several years, we have honed down on that process.” EHC’s record-breaking achievement follows a slight nationwide decline in kidney transplant rates, with 102 fewer transplants than in 2024. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, the number of deceased patients who decided to donate their kidneys
Jack Sutton/Deputy Illustration Editor
Emory Healthcare performed 591 kidney transplants in 2025 , setting a new national record. declined slightly in 2025, shrinking the amount of potential transplants available. To combat that trend, Professor of Surgery Christian Larsen (80C, 84M, 91MR) noted that his team focused on preparing every potential patient for surgery. “From the surgeons, the nephrologists, the whole team is really focused on having our patients likely to receive an offer be ready,” Larsen said. “That number increased considerably.” Larsen, who formerly served as dean of the medical school, added that surgical teams meet frequently
to “review every single organ offer,” ensuring the team can match each viable kidney and achieve efficient transplants. In a city where kidney disease disproportionately affects African American and low-income communities, Associate Professor of Medicine Payaswini Vasanth noted that Emory plays a critical role in expanding access to lifesaving transplants in the greater Atlanta community. “We’ve transplanted the largest African American patient population in the nation,” Vasanth said. Through her work, Basu also highlighted the importance of disman-
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tling the barriers marginalized communities face in health care. “For me, in particular, that ability to improve access to transplant, particularly to the vulnerable groups like lower socioeconomic patients or the HIV population, that is something that I find gratifying,” Basu said. Several physicians pointed to leadership and process improvements that strengthened the program’s coordination. Larsen noted that the return of Assistant Professor of Surgery Adam Bingaman (99G, 01MR) in 2024 has made it easier for patients to reach EHC, access data and make decisions quickly.
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Pasten added that alongside strong leadership, the program’s success was “really a team effort” among physicians, nurses, coordinators and staff. Beyond the impact of EHC’s record-breaking accomplishment, Larsen spoke about the amazement of watching a kidney transplant. “The surgery is beautiful,” Larsen said. “You see a kidney go from a grayish, soft organ to a beautiful pink and fully functioning, and then seeing a life transformed.” Pasten described the kidney transplant surgery as a “transformative experience” for many patients who have severe kidney disease. “After a successful kidney patient, it’s almost magical how much better most patients feel,” Pastan said. “They feel like they’ve been given their lives back.” Vasanth added that EHC’s mission credited the achievement to EHC’s mission, citing the hard work of the transplant team. “At the end of the day, it’s the dedication, the hard work, determination and the collective expertise are the true engines of a transplant center to achieve these kinds of huge targets,” Vasanth said.
— Contact Lucy Benjamin at lucy.benjamin@emory.edu
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